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Farm and Food Cybersecurity Act of 2025
4/1/2025, 8:06 AM
Summary of Bill HR 1604
Additionally, the bill requires the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct an annual cross-sector simulation exercise focused on a food-related emergency or disruption. This exercise will help to test the sector's response capabilities and identify areas for improvement in the event of a real-life crisis.
Overall, the Agriculture and Food Infrastructure Security Act seeks to enhance the cybersecurity and resilience of the agriculture and food critical infrastructure sector through proactive assessment, recommendations, and simulation exercises.
Congressional Summary of HR 1604
Farm and Food Cybersecurity Act of 2025
This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to (1) assess cybersecurity threats in the agriculture and food critical infrastructure sector, and (2) conduct annual crisis simulation exercises for food-related emergencies or disruptions. The agriculture and food critical infrastructure sector includes (1) any activity relating to the production, processing, distribution, storage, transportation, consumption, or disposal of agricultural or food products; and (2) any entity involved in any of these activities.
Specifically, USDA must conduct a risk assessment every two years on the cybersecurity threats to, and security vulnerabilities in, this sector. The risk assessment must include any recommendations for federal legislative or administrative actions to address related threats and vulnerabilities.
USDA must also conduct an annual simulation exercise relating to a food-related emergency or disruption in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI).
Among other things, the exercise must (1) involve a realistic and plausible scenario that simulates a food-related emergency or disruption that affects multiple sectors and jurisdictions, and (2) incorporate input from experts and stakeholders from various disciplines and sectors (e.g., agriculture, public health, emergency management, transportation, and energy).
USDA, in consultation with DHS, HHS, and ODNI, must submit a report to Congress on each simulation exercise, including recommendations to enhance the cybersecurity and resilience of the agriculture and food critical infrastructure sector.
